Samsung set to launch Galaxy S IV smartphone on March 14 in New York [update]

Samsung has said that it will unveil its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S IV, on March 14 in New York City, Reuters reports.

The US location for the fourth-generation phone reflects the company’s focus on the American mobile market this generation. By comparison, the Galaxy S III was announced last year at an event in London.

“We introduced the Galaxy S III in London last year, and this time we changed the venue (to New York)… as we were bombarded with requests from U.S. mobile carriers to unveil the Galaxy S IV in the country,” Samsung executive JK Shin was quoted as saying on the Edaily news website.

As the cornerstone of Samsung’s mobile strategy, the Galaxy S IV is one of the year’s most hotly-anticipated phones. The device is expected to include improvements to the camera, quad-core processor and display.

The Galaxy S series has been a huge success for Samsung, which has risen to become the world’s biggest mobile phone producer. In January, the company announced that Galaxy S shipments had topped 100 million, with the Galaxy S III alone contributing 41 million units.

In launching the Galaxy S IV in the US, Samsung will be taking on Apple directly in its home country. The iPhone 5 helped Apple shoot past Samsung in the fourth quarter to become the biggest mobile phone maker in the US, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple and Samsung are on alternate seasonal rhythms with their respective smartphone platforms, so Samsung will likely take back the title with the release of the Galaxy S IV.

Update: Samsung has released a teaser poster for the event with the tagline “Ready 4 the show”.